MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 2023 ORDINARY MEETING OF THE
DRIGG AND CARLETON PARISH COUNCIL
Held in Drigg Village Hall on 10th October 2023 at 7.50 pm
Attended: John Jennings JJ (Chair)
Andy Pratt AP (Vice-Chair)
Sadie Clarke SC
Suey Browne SB
Jimmy Naylor JN
Keith Murray KM
Karen Warmoth (Clerk / RFO)
Apologies: Chris Gigg CG
1) Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 12th September 2023
a) Resolution to approve the minutes of the meeting on 12th September 2023 as a true and accurate record proposed by KM and seconded by JN with all in favour; minutes signed by the Chair
2) Apologies for absence: as above
3) Declarations of interest relating to this agenda: none
4) Financial matters
a) Finance report
i) Balance: the balance on the Parish Council account is £4,752.28
b) Consideration of payments and cheques payable
i) CALC invoice: £180 paid for Clerk’s CiLCA training, approved at the September meeting
ii) NetWise: payment of £330 + VAT = £396 for website hosting and maintenance from 3 November 2023 to 2 November 2024 approved
iii) Victoria Hotel: expired cheque 909 dated March 2023 destroyed; £275 paid by BACS
iv) Noticeboard installation: invoice from AM Joinery for £480. CG confirmed prior to the meeting that all work had been carried out and checked – payment approved
v) Payment of the above invoices proposed by KM and seconded by JN, with all in favour
5) Actions and matters arising
a) Action 1/1: Clerk’s contract – see minute 8.h) – action ongoing
b) Action 5/2: LDNP have made a funding request; AP requested that repair of Holmes Bridge gate should be included in the funding – action ongoing
c) Action 9/1: AP raised the D-Day80 beacon with the Shepherds, who agreed to host it – see minute 8.k) – action completed
d) Action 9/2: Clerk emailed parishioner that the cottage unfit for habitation would not be let to any more refugees till all repairs were done – action completed
6) Reports from District Councillors
a) Cumberland: AP gave his report on Cumberland Council
i) South Cumberland Community Panel dates:
(1) Frizington on 12th October 2023
(2) Drigg Village Hall on 25th October 2023
(3) Kirksanton on 31st October 2023
ii) Single use plastics: new laws banning single use plastics; takeaways may not use polystyrene, plastic cutlery, etc
iii) Road sweeping: due to take place in Holmrook by Friday 13th October 2023
iv) Weeds on hill footpath: AP to enquire if this can be cleared
v) Hill Farm monitoring: slight improvement, farmer feeding more root veg, not just barley
vi) Bridge: traffic safety barrier needs to be washed / repainted; AP reported to Highways
vii) Electric Vehicle Charging points: AP registered Drigg & Carleton, Seascale and other rural parishes for EV charging points. Not superfast and not free to use
viii) Drains in Drigg: updated report still outstanding. Drain obstructed by tree roots
ix) Community Plan: update needed. Is there an end date?
(1) Government funding of £50k per annum plus interest is contingent on a Memorandum of Understanding; it is not protected
(2) Letter of comfort required from Martin Walkingshaw of LLWR / NWS to make sure there is a Memorandum of Understanding legally tying the Government funding in place while Vault 9 is in temporary storage
x) Traffic monitoring: need to assess accurately the amount of traffic in the village
xi) Assets: Cumberland Council unable to confirm if any assets available
Action 10/1: Clerk to draft a letter to Martin Walkingshaw re a Memorandum of Understanding
7) Public Participation
a) No members of the public came forward
8) Main Business
a) Hall Stairs project: DCPC has submitted an application for funding to the Drigg Society; possibility of submitting an application to South Copeland Community Investment Fund when quotes are available
b) Planters: SC reported to the Drigg Charity on two sources of durable, recycled plastic planters, namely Plaswood and Earth-Anchors
c) Shrubs in tubs: proposed that a small number of planters are bought and planted with drought resistant shrubs in the spring; the scheme may be extended further if successful
d) Vic metal pub sign: sign still not removed. Clerk to email FR to speak to proprietor
e) Holmes Bridge: discussed in 5.b). AP made request for LDNP funding for this repair
f) Parish noticeboard: CG indicated completed work is satisfactory; payment approved
g) Tethera: email sent to Seascale and Gosforth PC; DCPC to consider moving forward with a short quarterly newsletter for this parish alone if Tethera proves unviable for three parishes
h) Clerk’s contract: DCPC need to access the LGA Council Employees Terms & Conditions (“Green Book”) to establish obligations under the contract; AP to enquire with Cumberland
i) Clerk’s CiLCA training: CALC invoice for CiLCA training paid and the first 6 teaching sessions have been set up. Intro session began the series on 3 October 2023
j) Finger signpost: Cumberland Highways Dept have advertised their intention to repair heritage finger signposts; AP to report the signpost on Old Shore Road for attention again
k) D-Day80 Beacon: the Shepherds agreed to host the DCPC D-Day80 beacon on 6th June 2024, open to all the parish; AP to ask Drigg YFC to assist. Clerk to register the beacon on the website
Action 10/2: Clerk to speak to FR / Vic proprietor re rusting metal sign
Action 10/3: AP to enquire with Cumberland Council re the terms of the “Green Book”
Action 10/4: Clerk / AP to register finger signpost at the top of Old Shore Road with Highways again
Action 10/5: Clerk to register D-Day80 beacon with the Pageant master
9) Received communications
i) South Cumberland Community Panel: information relating to the Panel signposted on the website; networking event in Drigg on 25th October 2023 for local parish councillors
ii) CALC Annual Review, 2022-23: available on request
10) Planning Applications
a) Lake District National Park Authority: none
b) Cumberland Council
i) App 4/23/2279/0N1, Hill Farm Holmrook: to determine if prior approval is required for the creation of a section of concrete surfacing within the farmyard. No comment from DCPC; no objections at this time
ii) App 4/23/2264/HPAE, Six Bricks, Smithy Banks, Holmrook: prior notification application for proposed single storey rear extension. No objections from DCPC at this time
11) Cumbria Association of Local Councils
a) CALC AGM: AGM held at Rheged on 30th September 2023 attended by AP
b) Legal status: CALC legal status is now a Community Interest Company (“CIC”)
c) New format: CALC now split along the same lines as the two Unitary Councils (Cumberland / Westmorland & Furness). Former Chairs of the six old districts (former six Cumbrian Borough Councils) are CALC directors, including AP. Westmorland & Furness agreed to support CALC staff for four years, Cumberland for one year
12) Reports from Representatives
a) GDF Mid Copeland Community Partnership
i) Environmental Baseline Surveys: GDF is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, therefore Sec of State and Environmental Agency permissions needed to proceed.
(1) Survey work needed in order to apply for Development Consent Orders
(2) Planes to be launched this month (weather permitting) and every month for a year to monitor birds and marine wildlife
ii) Community Investment Fund: 18 awards made, £922,573 allocated. Five awards to be considered at the next Panel meeting for the remaining funds
iii) Next Mid Copeland meeting: 30th October 2023 at 3 pm in St Mary’s Room, Gosforth
b) GDF South Copeland Community Partnership
i) Regulators: Office of Nuclear Regulation and Environmental Agency regulate the bore hole permissions and site pre-work, plus issue permits for running a GDF
ii) Retrievability: UK will have no retrievability once the vault is sealed; France will be able to retrieve material up to 100 years from disposal, Germany up to 500 years
iii) Yonder survey: swing in baseline support from -34% (2022) to +11% (2023). The survey takes into account the new parishes added to the South Copeland search area (eg Drigg and Carleton) but these are not responsible for the swing. Regular surveys to be carried out to establish a reliable baseline going forward
iv) Film nights: dates agreed
v) Next South Copeland meeting: 14th September 2023 in Millom Cricket Club
c) NWS / DCPC Liaison
i) Letter of comfort: to be requested from NWS regarding mineral rights
ii) Maps: A0 maps printed showing SSSI sites and given to SC; additional large maps of the parish will be printed if located
iii) PRoW: ownership of land along LLWR perimeter fence still unclear; under review
iv) Update: RoSPA Gold award safety award
v) Planning condition: PCM work complete so working hours should revert to normal. Mike Piggott to review
vi) Abnormal loads: NWS should not divert parking to Village Hall without consultation as the Village Hall parking is needed for Hall users
vii) Wildfowlers: AP to facilitate meeting between Egremont Wildfowlers and NWS
viii) Gun club: NWS reviewing whether they have alternative land the Gun Club could use
ix) September minutes: to be added to the Drigg Community website
x) Next NWS / DCPC Liaison meeting: due on 24th October 2023 at 4.30 pm at Pelham House
13) Agenda for next meeting
a) To consider the legality and potential benefit of setting up a ring fenced reserve fund
b) Approval of the Clerk’s Employment contract
c) Traffic calming in the village
d) State of repair of B5344; painting road bumps
14) Date of next meeting
a) Close: meeting closed 9.10 pm
b) Next meeting: to be held on 14th November 2023 at Drigg Village Hall at 7.30 pm
Karen Warmoth
Parish Clerk
Drigg and Carleton Parish Council
13th September 2023
Summary of New Actions
Action 10/1: Clerk to draft a letter to Martin Walkingshaw / NWS re a Memorandum of Understanding
Action 10/2: Clerk to speak to FR / Vic proprietor re rusting metal sign
Action 10/3: AP to enquire with Cumberland Council re the terms of the “Green Book”
Action 10/4: Clerk / AP to register finger signpost at the top of Old Shore Road with Highways again
Action 10/5: Clerk to register D-Day80 beacon with the Pageant master
Actions Ongoing
Action 5/2: Clerk reported the broken gate at Drigg Holme to the LDNP again with no response – AP to escalate this report to the LDNP Resources Cttee – action ongoing
Action 1/1: Clerk’s contract – action ongoing